Where do you live. City or state? That would help.
At $636 per window for a mechanical frame and sash with swiggle seal glass spacer(someone will let me know if I am wrong about that) . you could do alot better on quality for that price.
Was that with or without having to post a sign in your yard for (I really dont know how long) lets say 2 years for a discount.
You could have Shuco maybe?( ask guy or Fenex) Simonton,certainteed,sunrise(maybe) or Alside. For the same price and higher quality or a lower price (half the price for some brands) and equal or better quality. With quality installation.
At $636 per window I think you should at least get welded frames, sashes . Low E argon (or better )
Let the debate begin ( or bashing) Good luck. Check back twice a day Its addictive once it gets started. At least then you can make a well informed choice.

am in indiana. have looked a several so far including independent contractors, air tite and champion. have a couple more to explore. i am looking at argon gas and low e, vinyl windows. is alside a quality window?

Teresa
Alside is not a bad window unless you are trying to compete against it and what window world sells it for.(this is not an endorsement)
WW will sell you any size double hung for a maximum of $350 each.
with everything and more than A/T offered.
But what I said was you can do alot better for $636 each. I try not to tell people what to buy but what is the best value. And W/W is a better value for your $. If you can afford more than $350 and want colors on the exterior other than white , brown, or beige? Then you could still go elsewhere and still do better than $636 per window.(even if you wanted different colors on the interior including wood grain)
There web site is www.windowworldinc.com but i am sure others should step up soon and give you some other options for $650 or less that would give you some other windows to compare against it.
Guess what? You dont even have to put a sign in your yard if you dont want to for a discount. That goes for most anyone that gives you a quote.(unless they are just looking for a bogus sales ploy)
$3630 0r $7000 (sliders cost more than $310) If you can afford it maybe you could do better on quality for say $5000. Or maybe get the same or less (maybe even the same window? for more $)
I know its hard to decide (really it suks) BUYER BEWARE, Take bids, Know what you are getting and look closely at what you are getting. It could be the same thing with another name on it.
Caviat what ever (just beware )

i am meeting with others to get more quotes. what i do like about air tite and what i imagine others may like is that it seems if there were a problem with the window or installation, it would be a lot easier to get corrected. my primary concerns in going with an independent contractor:
warranty won't be as good
it will be costly to make repairs
difficult to get someone back out
or will be out of business and I'll have to find someone else who may or may not be good.

i'm even rethinking vinyl and may go with pella since it is a good company with a good window.

Gilligan
I know that but its more fun my way.
Hipcat
That may be true but not where I live. I gave her a national suggestion on someone else to contact. You could give her others to contact if you so choose.
She could go to lowes or home depot. Or maybe you know some other reputable company in her area that wont charge $640 a window with all the bells and whistles?
I myself could give her a simonton window with all the upgrades for that much and blow the A/T window off this site. Her and I would be happy. Heck i could do it for even less than $640 (no not $639 either Lower)
Theresa
Dont get so hung up on the service issue . If you buy from reputable companies (bigger is not always better) Many of them have been around a long time. Even A/T uses subs but they do have a employee service person.
One local company here where I live operates out of 2 pole barns, has an employee service person, sells an excellent selection of windows for $450 or less . They have been around since 1962 ( they must be doing something right)
In my area they were the ones all the competion hated B/4 WW came around and they are still solid
Pellas wood replacement is not bad but their therma star vinyl is junk.
Warranty issues are always valid concerns. Installation issues on warranties usually show up right away or within the first year. Down the road, mechanical, seal failures etc..
Simonton, Alside,Certainteed,Atrium,Republic and many, many others have been around a long time and will warrant these issues themselves as a manufacturer. Many times the reason you cant find parts is because you cant remember what brand you have or did not save a copy of your warranty for 15 years.( roll up a copy of your warranty put it in a plastic bag and store it behind a balance cover or screw cover on the interior of the window) Out of sight but always there.
With many warranties the parts or glass is always free (some are prorated) But if you need someone to do it for you there is a charge. Read them well. I am not going to name those that do or do not. just read them well.
This one 4 you little buddy Caviat what ever

i get what you are saying about bigger not always being better and agree.

it must be a competitive business because it seems like a lot of people are very good at knocking each other.

your comments have helped..

a question - is there really a difference in a hard coat low e and a soft coat low e?

i got a quote yesterday for $550 a window. i have a friend down south who has sold/installed windows for years and he says no one should pay more than 300-400 installed per window. what do you think of that?

Teresa
I have never talked to gilligan before.
Your friend is right its what I keep trying to tell everyone.
I will stop short of saying no vinyl window is worth more than 400 (special note Large 2 lite and 3 lite sliders, bays ,bows are definitely worth more than $400 as are double and triple casements) I just havent seen one yet. It may be out there somewhere.
It is a very competitive business. the bashing only starts when someone trys to tell someone they can get a good double hung window for $200 to $400 range depending on what you can afford. Then the salesmen chime in to defend why their product is worth $600 to $1000 each.
I'll make it simple At 10 for $4000 (lets say they make at 10%) $400. At $600 they make $600 and on and on.
Your installer usually gets the same rate no matter what you paid. A $1000 vinyl window goes in the same as a $300 window.
As for your technical question on soft or hard I stay away from those issues and stick to the basic information of installation and price.
I will say this though if you ask 6 different salesmen seperately you will get 6 different answers and 6 different prices for it. Then the conversation will switch to my installers are better than theirs and so is my warranty.
Read each warranty and go see a few jobs.

Oh by the way Hipcat
Stick to what you know. I can drive a truck too. Can you install a window? Have you ever installed a window? Or just tried to sell windows?
I'll trade truck driver stories with you if you'll trade window installation stories with me. It will be one sided though .You probably dont have any actual get dirty first hand expierence. Only horror stories someone else told you to use in your sales presentation .Then you will have to bore me with statistics from your sales manual and web surfing expierences.
I once did a house that had a lady with 36 cats and a opossum living in it (wait a minute sounds like a truck driver story) and I also used to drive double vans across the thru way and triples in Indiana but that was along time ago. 15 years in this business and I dont think you can say that you can come close to it. (I probably also have more miles going backward than you have going forward)
But maybe that was all a TRUCK DRIVER STORY TO or maybe not.
Maybe you can give me better advice or customers too on what kind of CB radio to buy and where to get it peaked.
DD (figure out what that meant)
Sorry Teresa he had it coming. His whole 1 year of "sales" expierence and he thinks he can really comment on this industry and what its all about.
He needs to go to a job site and see what its all about . (even get dirty)Then maybe he can give a more informed perspective of what is intailed in this industry . Or what a truly fair price should be (when his comission isnt in jeopardy)
This board isnt for making money just for information. I do not post any contact info I only give advice(right or wrong) he cant say the same(check out his contact info) For every person in WNY he can get to contact him he makes money. Thats not fair and impartial advice.(its sales)
Maybe he sould sell "winders" somewhere else.

Handyman have you installed any product outside your current area. I welcome you to come up here to MN and install a job with my boys and I. There is a big difference in where you live on the pricing of windows. Our sub-zero temperatures will point out the smallest imperfection on an installation. I mean a tiny pinhole will cause the entire installation to fail. The way we install our product here and even the way we wrap our exteriors is above and beyond what most other states even think of. I'm in no way saying anyone here does a bogus job on their installs. I'm just basing this off what I've seen across the Nation. The only place I haven't been is on the coastal states. I've covered the rest though. The average window sells for around $500 - $800 per opening. HD is getting around $800 an opening and Lowes is getting around $500-$600 an opening. WIndow cost is really based off location. Now I just went out to look at my first Window World job here. My moms neighbor had them do their house. They were charged $500 per opening. It was so bad I had to excuse myself to go out to my truck and laugh out load. But keep in mind there are bad installers every where not just with the one I'm speaking of. I can't explain it, I can only pull them all out and install new ones. Only in America!!!

Guy
We would probably get along really well together. I do the same thing all the time. No matter what the customer was charged. Ive laughed at $1000 per window jobs too.
I and my partner just cant believe what some installers get away with.
Your mothers neighbor was probably happy till you showed up too.
But come on you really dont have to pull them all out and throw them away. In reality they only need to be squared up and recapped. But that wouldnt pay as much would it?
One customer from FJB posted pictures of their window job a while back and the inside guy did a great job. But the outside guys stuff I would have smacked them all with a hammer so we wouldnt have to argue over whether he should redo it. (you know what I mean)
I can tell youre an outside guy too!!
I can find a fault on anyones job even my own ( I am my own worst critic)

i'm going to look at wood windows - before i was thinking only of vinyl and low maintenance. environmental ratings and impact are important to me. marvin, andersen get great ratings. i understand there may be a maintenance issue but i like that they can be recycled and it looks like marvin invests money in trying not to waste in the production. i haven't priced wood windows yet. are they typically higher? what range should i expect for double hung windows?

Handyman I know where your coming from. I want to Larry, Moe & Curly slap people daily. I'm not really going to get this lady new windows. I'm just going to pull them and re-do them the right way. By the way I'm doing it for free. I can't see taking the old lady for anymore of her money. She got robbed by the other guys already. Believe it or not my bid on her windows was only $300.00 more than theirs. Her husband made her go with the low bid. So while I'm there I'm going to Raz this guy until the sun goes down. This is a perfect example that the lowest bid isn't always the best.

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